The Marriage Pact: A Baby Romance

by Tia Siren

  “Surely by now, he knows I’m not there, right?”

  “I’d imagine so,” said Garrett. “I figured he’d have called or texted me by now. Want me to call him?”

  I was tempted, but I held my tongue. I shook my head, declining.

  “So, you two are finally getting together, after all these years?” Garrett asked.

  “I don’t know what we’re going to do,” I answered. “I’m hoping we’ll figure that out once we start talking.”

  “Y’all will be fine,” he said.

  “So, about that whole ‘Darren never got over me’ statement,” I said. “Care to go more into that?”

  “No, not particularly. No,” said Garrett.

  “Garrett, please just answer this honestly, and I promise I won’t tell him you told me. Has he had feelings for me like—all this time?”

  “He’s never gotten over you,” he confessed. “No other girls have compared.”

  “Really? In six years?”

  “In six years, your name has come up more times than I could possibly keep track,” Garrett said. “All he’s wanted was for you to come back here, or for him to wake up one day and want the city life. I can’t exactly blame him for wanting to stay away from a big city. Big cities and the people in them are obnoxious.”

  “Every city has some obnoxious people in it, Garrett,” I replied. “But, he never loved someone else? He said he’d seen a few girls.”

  “Yeah, some girls would hang out with him from time to time,” he said. “There weren’t many, and they were never around for long.”

  “He had them around for company and sex?”

  “Well, I don’t know if I’d label it quite like that.”

  “Hey, after I got to Memphis, all I had in my life were temporary guys that provided a cure for my loneliness and my horniness,” I interjected. “I’m not judging that at all.”

  “Great, so you two are basically love twins,” said Garrett. “You’re both doing the exact same things trying to prevent what you both know is true.”

  “What’s the truth?”

  “The truth is—he’s afraid to ever leave Rome,” he said. “This is where he’s safe. He has a good job, good friends, and he found a good house in town when he never thought he could. Putting that on the line for anything—or really, anyone—would be really risky. Not even talking finances here. I mean, he could gamble away his heart and lose it to someone that hurts him.”

  “I would never hurt him,” I said.

  “You don’t know that for sure, but that’s beside the point,” he replied. “No one knows whether they’re going to hurt a person or not. Anyway, he has a good setup, and not only could a relationship break apart and he’s lost from that, but, he could give up his life here, have to come back, and his life won’t be able to just take him back. You know what I’m saying?”

  “Oddly enough, I think I do.”

  “I think he was afraid of you guys trying to make a life out in Tennessee, and then it wouldn’t work out,” said Garrett. “For one reason or another. Then, he’d be devastated. He’d have lost all that other stuff, but really, also, he’d lose one of his closest friends. Even though it’s been a while, I could tell you two didn’t miss a beat. You two were meant to be close.”

  “Does he really love me?” I asked, feeling like a child.

  “Bailey, that man is so in love with you—it’s kind of gross,” said Garrett. “He gets so sappy whenever he talks about you. I really didn’t think he was ever going to get over you.”

  “There’s never been a day when I haven’t thought about him,” I said.

  “You’ll probably want to make sure and tell him that,” he suggested. “That’s all he wants to hear, I’ll bet.”

  I didn’t want to be rude to Garrett, but at that moment, all I wanted to do was leave, get back on a plane, and get to Darren before he had a chance to drive away.

  “If you want to try asking him to move to Memphis again, now would be the time,” said Garrett. “If I were you, I’d consider a change, too.”

  “Like Nashville?”

  “Like Nashville,” he said. “Or New York. Or California. Shit, even moving to Atlanta would be a good move for you both.”

  I beamed, thinking about the different places and ways Darren and I could live together. I was excited by the thoughts alone.

  “Do you love him?” Garrett asked me while I was in my daze.

  “I’ve loved Darren for years.”

  Garrett chuckled, pouring more of the pitcher into my glass.

  “Well, not like you were looking for it or anything, but you have my blessing,” said Garrett. “I’ve wanted to see you lovebirds become a couple for over a decade. Stop being such teases and give the people what they want!”

  Chapter 33

  Darren

  Leah and I left the studio together. I had Bo’s leash in one hand, and a memory card in the other. She locked the doors behind us, and I held the memory card out for her to take from me.

  “You promise you’ll give it to her?” I asked as she accepted the memory card.

  “I’ll give it to her as soon as I see her.”

  Within the digital sandbox that resided in that memory card sat a gift, from me to Bailey. It was made directly from my heart, and it felt just as right as it had been getting in the car and driving to Memphis.

  “Thank you so much,” I told Leah.

  “You’re welcome, Darren,” she said. “And, don’t worry—she’s going to love it.”

  As I watched Leah drive off from the studio, Bo and I got back in the Focus, and I considered our next move.

  “I could just call Bailey,” I thought out loud. “Crash with Leah or get a hotel— wait till Bailey gets back. Or, we could just drive on back to Rome at the speed of sound and hope we catch her before she comes back to Memphis. She’s probably staying the night at her father’s place, anyway.”

  I quickly texted Garrett.

  So, you aren’t going to believe this. Apparently, Bailey flew back to Rome when I was driving here to Memphis. It’s insane. I’m heading back to Rome now. I’m hoping I can catch her before she comes back to Memphis.

  I didn’t receive a response from Garrett until a few hours later, just as we were driving through Birmingham.

  Cool. Hey come by Chelsea’s before you go home.

  I’ve got Bo in the car with me.

  Oh, shit yeah. Drop Bo off then come to Chelsea’s.

  Once I got back into Rome, I did exactly that. I dropped Bo off at the house, let him do his business, put him inside, and I went right to Chelsea’s. I felt tired; the hours were catching up, making my eyes heavy and my cares diminished.

  I parked beside Garrett’s car and found him near our usual seats inside. He was polishing off a pitcher of beer, ushering the bartender over as he saw me approach.

  “Two fire torpedoes,” Garrett ordered.

  “You trying to get me all liquored up so you can have your way with me?” I asked, hitting him lightly on the shoulder.

  “I want to buy you drinks, so you don’t get mad or weirded out by what all I have to talk to you about,” said Garrett.

  “By ‘all you have to talk to me about’?” I asked with concern.

  “It’s about this whole fairy tale thing you’ve been writing with this chick,” he said with slurs interlaced in his speech. “I became a secondary character in it earlier today.”

  To say I was puzzled would’ve been an understatement. “Okay. How so?”

  “Bailey was here earlier,” Garrett said.

  “Yeah, no shit,” I said in annoyance. “I told you that earlier.”

  “What I was going to say next was that I saw her earlier today,” he said.

  I shut my mouth, immediately brainstorming at a rapid pace on what she and he said to each other.

  “Did she go by Mel’s today looking for me?” I asked.

  “That’s exactly what she was doing,” he confirmed. “She came ba
ck to Rome, looking for you, and of course you weren’t here. She had a lot of questions about you and her and your love for each other.”

  “Oh, Lord,” I said, laughing uncontrollably.

  “I’m glad you think it’s funny, because I totally sold you out, man,” said Garrett. “I told her how much you loved her. I admitted so much shit to her—totally stole your thunder. I don’t know what I was thinking. She was bumming so hard, and wanted to know if you really loved her.”

  “Garrett, bro, I’m not mad!” I reassured him.

  “You’re not?”

  “Dude, I’m just happy to hear that she came back to Rome for me,” I said like a fool in love. “I wish I could’ve seen her, but I’m sure we’ll find a way back to each other soon enough.”

  “Bailey totally panicked when I told her you’d texted and said you were coming back home,” said Garrett. “Should I not have told her you were coming back? I didn’t know what the right thing to do was.”

  “Dude, don’t worry about it,” I said, slapping him lovingly on the shoulder.

  “Man, you may have been right all these years,” he conceded. “You two might be made for each other after all.”

  “I’m glad you finally see it that way,” I said.

  “I said you might be right,” he underlined. “Bro, stop this game of tag y’all are playing and put a ring on that girl’s finger, or something!”

  “I can’t get a read on you, Garrett!” I shouted. “One minute you think I need to let things be and get back to business. Sometimes you think I should just move right the hell out of Georgia. One day you’re saying I should just hookup with her, the next you’re saying she’s my soul mate. What do you really think?”

  “I think you guys should do what makes you happy,” he replied. “I think there’s no harm in trying something real with each other and seeing where it takes you. Yeah, y’all might break up. So, what? Does that mean you’re never going to try being in a relationship ever again?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t really want to do the casual thing anymore, but you’re afraid to try a committed relationship,” he surmised. “You’re telling me you’d be happier being alone?”

  “I don’t mind being alone,” I said honestly.

  “I know you can do it, but are you truly happy?” he asked. “I know you’ve got a routine that you enjoy, and you’ve got Bo, but is that enough to make you happy?”

  “What did you and her talk about?” I asked, ensuring that he stayed on topic.

  “We talked about a lot,” he said. “A lot of it was just a sappy session on love. We tried figuring out how you two could compatibly date.”

  “Wonderful,” I remarked.

  “She really wants you guys to be together,” said Garrett. “That’s why y’all have to stop playing these games with each other. The time for games has passed. Things are different now. You can probably live anywhere in the world you want, and you could probably start a career in music like you used to want. And, you’d do it all with the girl you’ve been obsessed with since I’ve known you. Does that not sound fucking great, man? What’re you wasting your time here in Rome for? Come back to visit sometimes. You’ll always have a place to stay with me. You’re supposed to do great things, Darren. And, that girl is really into you, and she’s successful, hot, and you both get along better than any guy and girl I’ve ever known.”

  “I can’t live in Memphis,” I said.

  “Don’t live in Memphis!” he yelled. “You’re not listening to me! You two could live anywhere! Mel will write you a great recommendation if you want a job like what you’ve got now. If not, you could finally put all that musical talent of yours to good use.”

  “You know, I have to admit. I’m not sure how much fun I’d have at a different A/C place,” I said. “You’re really the one that’s kept me at this job the longest.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, I’ve stayed at Mel’s because I love being able to work with my best friend,” I said. “I’d probably be happy working anywhere as long as we both did it, you know? We’ve worked at like three of the same places together, and they didn’t seem like boring pits. Mostly because we made it fun, you know what I mean?”

  “Yeah, man, I feel the same way,” said Garrett.

  Then, I had an epiphany. I didn’t enjoy my job because it was fulfilling and what I wanted to do. I enjoyed it because I got to work with someone I loved and respected.

  I thought about writing music with Bailey, and working every day together at her studio or any studio, and how I’d be working with someone I deeply loved and greatly respected.

  “You know what?” I said. “Moving wouldn’t be so bad after all. It would be risky, scary—”

  “Hell, yeah man,” he agreed. “There ain’t no shame in admitting that. It’d be weird if you weren’t scared.”

  “You’d have to come and visit me,” I said. “At least twice a year, no matter where I might end up.”

  “We’ll figure it out,” said Garrett. “Even if some time passed, we’ve got phones and computers. We’ll be fine, man.”

  We shook hands, doing a drunken version of an old handshake we used to do sometimes in school. It was that handshake that sealed my fate.

  I sat in bed with Bo, aimlessly plucking the strings on my guitar.

  I thought about how strange it would be to sell my house and leave Rome behind. I would miss it, but I knew that I would miss Bailey so much more if I chose to not have her in my life. I was without her for six years, and even at the height of my happiness, I was leading a half-life.

  I imagined Bailey and I picking out a house together, with a big tree out in the front and back, and grass as green as it could be. I would look out back and see one of my children climbing the tree, similarly to how Bailey and I used to do as kids.

  I thought about standing on a spectacular stage with Bailey, playing songs together and singing in perfect harmony. I imagined what different holidays would be like together, and how amazing it would be to get to do everything together with my closest friend.

  I considered getting back in the car and going to Memphis again, but I held off. It was torture to practice patience with how anxious I was, but I took a deep breath and relaxed.

  I leaned over and pet Bo. “We’ll see Bailey again soon, Bo. One day soon.”

  Chapter 34

  Bailey

  I arrived back in Memphis late on Tuesday night. I went straight home and crashed in bed, spent from the day I had.

  I woke up early the next day and headed over to the studio right after sunrise. I was hoping to have the studio all to myself.

  Yet, as I parked in my usual spot outside, I saw Leah’s car already there. I was slightly discouraged in terms of the flow I was hoping to have, but I was determined not to let a lack of solitude prohibit me from working.

  Leah was sitting in the recording booth, scrolling through her phone. I made myself some coffee and then joined her in the booth.

  “Good morning,” I told her.

  “Morning.”

  “What brings you here so early?” I asked.

  “The hot water is out at my place,” she said. “I wanted to shower, so I showered here. I was almost falling back asleep.”

  “You could go back home. You don’t live far.”

  “No, I was hoping you were going to show up,” said Leah. “I wanted to talk with you for a while.”

  “Look, I still don’t think signing with that label—”

  “I don’t think signing with them is a good idea, either,” she stressed. “I don’t want to talk to you about record labels, or tours, or anything specific about the future.”

  “Okay. What do you want to talk about?” I asked.

  Leah pondered to herself, humming quietly and searching for the right words.

  “Hello?” I said.

  She bit her lip. “I have something I need to show you. But, we’ll get to that later. Fo
r now, I think we should go out.”

  “Go out?”

  Leah stood up and grabbed her purse.

  “Leah?”

  “Let me take you out to get your nails done,” she said. “Come on, we haven’t had our nails done together in forever. Let’s get pampered. We deserve it.”

  “I think we have another hour or two to wait before the salons open,” I said looking at the time.

  “Then, practice, play—whatever you came here to do,” she said. “After, we’ll go get pampered.”

  “Actually, do you think we could talk about Darren?” I asked. “When I was in Rome, I saw Garrett. He said that Darren was here.”

  “Right, I saw him yesterday,” said Leah.

  We both stared at each other. I must’ve looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

  “Oh, had I not brought that up to you yet?” she asked.

  “I’ll play later,” I said, grabbing my own bag. “I’ll get us breakfast. You get us the manicure. Tell me everything.”

  I drove Leah and me to Gracie’s to get some good breakfast. We spent most of the time talking rather than eating.

  She told me about how Darren had come to the studio looking for me. She dished on nearly everything that they said to each other, and I was floored.

  “He said that he’s in love with you,” Leah told me.

  I knew that I was also in love with him, and after that day, I vowed to myself to not abandon my feelings and wants so irrationally.

  We finished our food once she was finished filling me in on all the details. I couldn’t completely empty my plate because my energy wasn’t spent eating. I wanted nothing more, at that moment, than to get on the next flight back to Atlanta.

  I drove us to Sunnywood Mall, a pretty sketchy mall with questionable stores; however, we both loved the nail salon the mall had beside the food court.

  We didn’t even have to hang out in the waiting area of the salon once we arrived. We sat down next to each other, relaxed, closed our eyes, and got our nails done.